This link is so "011000110110111101101111011011000010000100000000"
Say WHAT????
At some point in your computer career, you have most likely heard the word binary.
So what is binary? Well...Webopedia define it as:
"Pertaining to a number system that has just two unique digits. For most purposes, we use the decimal number system, which has ten unique digits, 0 through 9. All other numbers are then formed by combining these ten digits. Computers are based on the binary numbering system, which consists of just two unique numbers, 0 and 1. All operations that are possible in the decimal system (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) are equally possible in the binary system.
"We use the decimal system in everyday life because it seems more natural (we have ten fingers and ten toes). For the computer, the binary system is more natural because of its electrical nature (charged versus uncharged)."
So what does all that gibberish mean? Well, computers first learned to understand information when engineers would flip switches on the computer. Like a light switch, computer switches were flipped one way to pass one piece of information, such as a positive code. And switched the other way to mean a negative code.
Think of it like Morse Code, which telegraph operator used to use. Morse Code consists of series of dots and dashes to make words. Put together, those dots and dashes mean something to anyone who knows how to understand it. Dot Dot Dot Dash Dash Dash Dot Dot Dot means SOS or HELP!
Computers, too, have their own language. Binary. The language of 1s and 0s. As someone I know loves to say: "Binary is as easy as 01, 10, 11!"...meaning 1, 2, 3, because 01 means 1, 10 means 2, 11 means 3...to a computer, or to people who can think like a computer!
Why do you care and why am I wasting your time telling you this? Because there's a fun web site that you should check out. It contains a binary converter. The kids will love it! (And so will dad!)
You can type your text message in the text box on the site, click the encode button and the resulting 1s and 0s in the opposite window will be the eqivalent to your text message in binary code. You can then copy that code by clicking in the code box, hitting Ctrl/A to Select All, hit Ctrl/C to Copy it and press Ctrl/V to Paste that mess into an email message. Send it to a friend. Have them go to the web site and do the same, in reverse, to decode and read your message.
Just think of all the secret messages you can send. If the boss sees it, just tell him/her that you're having some computer problems and your email has gone whacky<smirk>
OK, I know. It's a total waste of time. But that's why it's fun!
Here's the URL to the binary site. Enjoy!
http://www.nickciske.com/binary/index.php
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